Feeder.



J. M. BUSSEY.

FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I8. Isls.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

@wuz n fot J. IVI. BUSSEY.

FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I8. |915.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I. M. BUSSEY.

FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I8 I9I5- Patented Oct. 2, 1917.'

3 SHEETS-S 3- the same may be readily used, and in a like PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. BUSSEY, OF BLUECREEK, WEST VIRGINIA.

FEEDER.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN M. BUssEY, citizen of the UnitedA States, residing at Bluecreek, in thecounty of Kanawha and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to feeders for threshing machines and may be said to consist in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the feeder, the parts appearing as when in use;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the primary or portable conveyer;

Fig. 1 is a similar view, the manner in which the secondary or auxiliary conveyer is attached to the primary conveyer being shown;

Fig. 5 is a similar view, the mode of connection between the two auxiliary conveyers being shown;

Fig. 6 is a cross section of the primary conveyer illustrating the roller construction and its associate driving means;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view, partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating the equipment of one driving roller of one of the said auxiliary conveyers;

Fig. 8 illustrates in elevation the driving means for the primary conveyer rollers;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 illustrating the support means for and the connection between the two auxiliary conveyers; and Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the feeder, the auxiliary conveyers being detached and mounted in superposed relation upon the top of the primary conveyer.

Like numerals of reference designate like parts throughout the several views.

Before proceeding with the description of the drawings I deslre to call particular attention to the fact that while I have evolved my invention withparticular reference to its use as a feeder for threshing machines,

, capacity, in connection with various machines to which grain or a like commodity is fed.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 18, 1915.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

serial No. 15,369.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates, as an entirety, the primary conveyer, 2, as an entirety, one of the auxiliary or secondary conveyers, and 3,'as `an entirety, a second auxiliary conveyer, the several conveyers being adapted for detachable connection or assemblage as shown to advantage in Fig. 1. Vhile but two auxiliary conveyers are shown as constituting the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that one or a greater number may equally as well be used.

The primary conveyer l is mounted upon a vehicular body or wheeled frame 4, such arrangement facilitating transportation from place to place. The auxiliary or secondary conveyers 2 and 3 are made detachable that they may be disconnected and mounted in superimposed relation upon the top of the primary conveyer to be transported therewith, the arrangement, during transportation, being illustrated to advantage in Fig. 10.

Gonveyer 1 comprises, in addition to its vehicular supporting body 4, spaced parallel side beams 5 5, the beams collectively constituting a suitable frame adapted for disposition at an angle to the horizontahwhen in use, the forward end of the frame being elevated through the instrumentality of a support rod 6 hingedly connected as at 7 to a block 8 aflixed to the under side .of the frame, the support rod being maintained in a substantially vertical position by means of its abutting engagement with the forward raised portion of the wheeled support. During transportation, support rod 6 is moved into a position in parallelism with the under side of the conveyer frame, thereby permitting said frame to lie in a substantially horizontal plane, the block 8 resting upon the wheeled support as shown. A suitable bracket 9 is aiixed to the wheeled support,

the terminals of the said bracket being upturned to overlap and extend upwardly upon opposite sides of the frame to in this manner preclude lateral displacement of said frame when in a horizontal plane.

Rollers 10, 11, 12 and 13 connect the side beams 5 constituting the frame to maintain the said beams in parallelism and to afford supports for two endless conveyers designated respectively 14 and 15 operating thereover, the former, conveyer 14, operating over the rollers 11 and 13 and the latter, conveyer 15, operating over rollers 10 `and 12, each roller being provided with terminal spindles 16, the several spindles penetrating the side beams 5, the beams supportingv the rollers and aifording suitable bearings therefor. One of the terminal spindles 16 of the roller 11 is made somewhat elongated to receive the primary power transmission mechanism involved. If desired, the elongated s indle 16 may be equipped with a pulley not shown) or with a crank handle (not shown) that the feeder as a whole may be operated manually or by energy derived through operation of an engine or the like. Spindle 16 is further equipped with a sliding clutch member 17 movable longitudinally of the spindle either into or out of clutch like engagement with a complemental face 18 made integral with a suitable gear 20 loosely mounted so as to turn only when the clutch face 18 and the clutch device 17 engage. Clutch device 17 is circumferentially grooved as at 19 to receive the yoke terminal 21 of a clutch operating rod 22, the latter having an integral angular extension 23 to effect in reality a bell crank pivoted as at 24 interiorly of a bracket structure 25 affixed to the frame in adjacent proximity to the gear 20 aforesaid. The extension 23 is pivotally connected at its free end with a rod 26 -arranged to extend rearwardly of the conveyer for a purpose to be hereinafter fully described.

When clutch device 17 is in engagement with the clutch face 18 of the gear 20, said gear will be set in motion to revolve or rotate a gear 27 meshing therewith, the gear 27 being mounted to turn loose upon the spindle 16 of the adjacent roller 10. Gear 27 carries a pivoted pawl 28, while the spindle 16 of the roller 10 carries a ratchet structure 29. As the ratchet structure is keyed to the spindle 16 and is arranged in such proximity to the pawl 28 as to be engaged thereby it is evident that gear 27 may drive the roller 10. Pawl 28 is preferably spring pressed as indicated at 32 in Fig. 10. v

By the arrangement of the rollers in pairs, and the arrangement of the conveyers in superposed relation, it is evident that the said two conveyers will operate or travel in opposite directions to in this manner, of a necessity, cause the adjacent portion of the conveyers to move in unison or together and in actual practice, toward the respective rollers 10 and 11, the grain acted upon, as will subsequently appear, being directed onto the lowermost conveyer 14 and between the said two conveyors whereby to be discharged onto the rear platform of the threshing machine in a manner common to the jart. Each conveyer may be provided with transverse slats 33 to preclude back sliding during a conveyance ofthe grain.

Each beam 5 is cut away at its rear end That the space between the reas to move therewith. The means utilized u to support and maintain the arms 34 at an. angle to the beams 5 comprises a supporting bar 37 having pivotal connection as at 38 with one of said arms, said bar being notched as at 39 adjacent the free end to overlap and positively engage a keeper 40 therefor, the keeper 40 being ailixed or fastened as at 41 to the frame. Aretaining element 42 may be associated with the keeper to prevent accidental displacement of the supporting bar 37 when it is desired that the arms 34 be held in an elevated or raised position. If desired, each arm may be equipped with the support means'just described.l

Ordinarily, separation of rollers 12 and 13 as aforesaid, would tend to swing the adjacent portions of the conveyer out of parallelism. To offset this tendency, I provide what may be termed a third roller 43, said roller being situated interiorly of the space defined by the conveyer belt 15 and at a point adjacent the rear or receiving end of said conveyer. As roller 43 is yieldingly held-against movement relatively to conveyer 14, and as said roller is normally in adjacent proximity thereto, it is evident that the conveyer belt 15 will of a necessity operate in the path of an irregular triangle or as shown to advantage in Fig. 4. The support means for the third roller 43 includes support arms 44 and a rod or shaft 45- to which the respective arms 44 are ixedly secured. Shaft 45 is of a length to penetrate the side beams 5 of the frame, one terminal of the said rod or shaft extending beyond the outside face of the frame that it may be connected with the rod 26 mentioned above.

' The connection thus referred to includes a crank arm or extension 46 and a link 47, the latter being of a novel construction whereby to receive the threaded terminal 48 of the rod 26 to provide for adjustment, l

should occasion demand. A spring 49 is aliixed at one end of the free terminal of the extension 46 and at its opposite end to the conveyer frame, the said spring norfmally exerting a downward pull on the excontrol, the control being obtained through manipulation of the clutch device hereinbefore described.

Having described at length the detail construction of the primary conveyer 1, I shall now proceed with a detail description of the secondary or auxiliary conveyers 2 and 3. Inasmuch as the construction of conveyers 2 and 3 is identical, I shall limit my description to but one, assuming that the description will suffice for both. Said auxiliary conveyer in its preferred embodiment consists of an elongated frame comprising side boards 50 and a horizontally flat center board 51, the longitudinal edges of the latter being aiiixed to the adjacent faces of the side boards to positively main- -conveyer 1.

tain the frame parts against separation and in proper place. The forward end of the frame is elevated sufficiently in assembling the feeder for use to permit its support by the lower rear terminal of the primary conveyer 1. A suitable roller 52 is mounted at the forward end of the conveyer 2, the roller being provided with terminal spindles 53, one of which is elongated to support a sprocket 54 keyed or otherwise xed thereto. Motion is transmitted to the' roller 52 by a chain 56 operating at one end over the sprocket 54 and at is opposite end over a like sprocket 57 mounted on the spindle 16 of the roller 13 noted above. The spindles 53 of the roller 52 operate in arcuate slots 58 formed in the frame acting as a support therefor, the slots permitting of movement of the roller relatively to the roller 13 to render, if desired, the operation of sprocket 57 inei'ectual to drive sprocket 54. A pivoted lever 59 is mounted to traverse a rack 60 provided to control or adjust the position of the roller 52, one of the spindles for said roller being journaled in said lever 59. An endless conveyer belt 61 is arranged to operate over the roller 52 at one end of the frame and at its opposite end over a roller 62 mounted at the opposite end of the frame7 the latter being mounted in much the same manner as the roller 13 of the main One of the spindles 53 of the roller 62 isy however equipped with a sprocket 63 that motion may be transmitted to a second auxiliary or secondary conveyer should the same be used. The forward terminal of the second auxiliary conveyer is to be elevated sufficiently to rest upon the rear terminal of the ,auxiliary conveyer connected to the main conveyer l that the grain carried thereby may be directed onto the first auxiliary conveyer and then to the main conveyer, being finally carried onto thenreceiving platform of the threshing machine.v

Each auxiliary or secondary conveyer may lbe provided with a substantial? U- shape bracket 64, said bracket aEord ng a support for the associate conveyers used and precluding lateral displacement of the conveyers when properly arranged between the bracket extensions as shown to advantage in Fig. 9.

In operation, the grain is first placed on the conveyer 3, and, by reason of the endless carrier forming a part thereof, directed onto the conveyer 2. The endless carrier forming a part of the conveyer 2 will deposit the grain onto the conveyer 14 forming the lowermost of the superposed conveyers constituting the conveyer l. The open mouth or wide space afforded at the rear end of the primary conveyer 1 will permit auxiliary conveyer 2 to positively deposit on to the conveyer 14, the positive deposit being made possible by the overlapping arrangement shown. The coacting conveyers 14 and 15 (operating in unison) will carry the grain upwardly to in this manner execute the final step in the feeding operation, the elevated grain being deposited on to the receiving platform at the rear of the threshing machine.

That the full utility of the feeder may be determined, I desire to call attention to the fact that the feeder may be arranged either directly in front of the threshing machine or to operate at an angle thereto, the point of deposit -in al1 instances being the same. By such arrangement, sparks from the engine operating the thresher may be directed away from the grain acted on, the arrangement of the engine being of course governed by the wind.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be further noted that movement of auxiliary or third roller 43 is subjected to the control of the clutch device 17; that the rear end of conveyer 15 may be elevated without displacing the coperating adjacent faces of the belts 14 and 15; and that if desired, one or more of these conveyers may be idled without necessitating the idling of the primary conveyer 1.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention illustrated in the drawings and referred to 1n the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacriicing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In feeder apparatus, a conveyer comprising endless elements mounted to operate in substantially parallel spaced relation and in adjacent proximity, means to drive the respective elements in opposite directions, and movable means supporting the receiving terminal of one of said elements whereby said terminal may be moved away from the receiving terminal of the other of said elements without moving either element as an entirety.

2. In feeder apparatus, a convey-er structure comprising a frame, means to position and maintain the frame at an inclination, superposed coacting endless elements mounted on the frame, means to drive the respective elements in opposite directions, a support pivotally connected to the frame and aording a support for the receiving terminal of the uppermost element, said support being movable relatively to the frame to space the said receiving terminal away from the adjacent receiving terminal of the lowermost element without spacing the element as an entirety and without varying the relation of the adjacent stretches of the elements, and means maintaining the said support in its elevated position.

3. In feeder apparatus, a pair of coacting superposed endless elements, means to drive thel respective elements in opposite directions, a support for the receiving terminal of the uppermost element having pivotal connection with the conveyer frame, means maintaining the said support in an elevated position to space the receiving vterminal of the uppermost endless element away from the receiving terminal of the lowermost element, and means engaging the uppermost element in spaced relation to its receiving terminal to maintain said element throughout the greater portion of its length in parallelism to the lowermost element.

4. In feeder apparatus, coacting superposed endless elements mounted to extend normally in parallelism, means to drive vthe respective elements in opposite directions, a frame for the apparatus, a support having pivotal connection with the frame, the said support being movable relatively to the frame, to space the receiving terminal of the uppermost element away from the adjacent terminal of the lowermost element without moving said element as an entirety, and without varying the relation of the adjacent stretches of the elements, and means engaging the uppermost element to maintain the coacting portion of the respective elements in parallelism throughout the greater portion of the length of the conveyer.

5: In feeder apparatus, a primary conveyer structure comprising coacting superposed endless conveyer elements, means to .drive the respective elements in opposite directions, movable means supporting the receiving terminal of one of said .elements whereby said terminal may be moved relatively to the adjacent terminal of the other of said elements without moving either element as an entirety, and a secondary endless element mounted to overlapY the receiving terminal of the lowermost element first mentioned and to fit the space created by the elevation of the uppermost element first mentioned, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In feeder apparatus, a primary conveyer comprising superposed coacting endless elements, means to drive the respective elements in opposite directions, movable means supporting the receiving terminal of the uppermost element whereby said terminal may be moved relatively to the receiving terminal of the adjacent element Without moving either element as an entirety, a secondary endless element with the discharge end disposed in overlapping relation with respect to the lowermost element first mentioned, and means to drive the second element through movement of the primary conveyer element.

7. In feeder apparatus, a primary conveyer structure including superposed coacting endless elements, means to drive the respective elements in opposite directions, a conveyer frame supporting the respective elements, means affixed to the conveyer frame and affording a support for the receiving terminal of the uppermost element, said means being movable relatively to the conveyer frame to space the receiving terminal of the uppermost element away from the receiving terminal of the lowermost element, means engaging the uppermostI element to maintain the coacting portion of the respective elements in parallelism throughout the greater portion of the length of the conveyer, means maintaining the movable support in its adjusted position, a

secondary conveyer mounted with the dis#I charge terminal in overlapping relation with respect to the receiving terminal of the lowermost terminal first mentioned, and means to drive the said secondary conveyer through operation of the primary conveyer.

8. In feeder apparatus, a conveyer frame, a vehicular support therefor, means to maintain the frame at an inclination with respect to said support, a plurality of rollers mounted on the frame, a pair of endless elements mounted to operate over the-respective rollers, the said endless elements being disposed in superposed relation, a support for the receiving terminal roller of the uppermost element, said support havin pivotal connection with the conveyer rame, means to maintain the said support in an elevated position without elevating the uppermost element as an entirety, and means to render the elements operative or inoperative as occasion may demand.

9; In feeder apparatus, coacting superposed endless elements, means to drive the respective elements in opposite directions, movable means supporting the receiving terminal of one of said elements, whereby said terminal may be moved, means for supporting said movable means to maintain the terminal in raised position, and means engaging the element elevated to maintain the adjacent portion of the respective elements in parallelism throughout the greater portion of their length.

10. In feeder apparatus, coacting superposed endless elements, operating mechanism therefor, movable means supporting the receiving terminal of the uppermost element whereby said terminal may be elevated, and means engaging said uppermost element to maintainthe coacting adjacent portion of the respective elements in parallelism throughout the greater portion of their length, said last mentioned means being yieldingly movable during adjustment of the uppermost conveyer as aforesaid.

11. In feeder apparatus,y a conveyer frame, a plurality of rollers, a pair of superposed endless elements operatlng over said rollers, movable means supporting the receiving terminal of the uppermost roller whereby said terminal may be elevated by raising the support Without elevating said element as an entirety operating means to drive the respective rol ers in opposite directions,.a roller mounted to engage the uppermost element to maintain said elements in parallelism throughout the greater portion of its length with the lowermost element, and means yieldingly maintaining said roller in engagement with said adjustable endless element.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

, JOHN M. BUSSEY. Witnesses:

W. H. GATES, A. T. BUssEY. 

